C H A R C U T E R I E galore is the order of the day at Bocata, a quaint old world French restaurant on Rue St. Paul in old town Montreal. Open late, the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and encourages you to sample and explore options from their menu.
Whether it’s fromage (60 g 9$ / 120g 18$), pata negra Iberico (sliced at the bar and served with toasted bread and fresh tomato & olive oil), oysters, salmon tartare, homemade pan bagnat pesto or the yummy duck & arugula (which I loved), Bocata will not disappoint. 
Other suggestions include the smoked duck confit, pancetta and apple vinaigrette with a walnut praline, their infamous foie gras and chicken boudin, the morel mushrooms with curried crème fraîche, and YES this one (OMG): rhubarb confit, hazelnut & apricot crostini, goat milk custard straight from Caroline & Jean François’ Farm.
Then there’s the one we didn’t have room to put down sadly: the lobster & sweet corn. Other specialties that mixes old world, French and old Montreal include the halibut and mushroom duxelle, the rabbit and tartine, and the mustard braised leg with local mushrooms (you’ll notice a theme on mushrooms if you’ve been reading our restaurant reviews of Montreal this month…they’re in season, fresh in the markets and mushrooms are on all the menus – tons of ’em, all fresh, organic, and diverse in variety and range).
We didn’t try the beef cheeks or the veal and manchego (braised for eight hours) but OH so on the list for next time I return if they still have it on the menu. Thanks to Josh for all of your recommendations, help and support. Below is a video to give you a taste of Bocata.
The video is in French since it’s not one of ours, but it will definitely give you an idea of its charm and its commitment to amazing fresh food that will have you coming back for more…
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
